I am so tired. Tired of the state of this country and tired of people I know defending the state of the country. America is not healthy right now and I would go on to say we are sick. Sick with a disease known as fascism.
To be honest, I am tired and have been for a long time. Empathy and compassion take more energy than I have, and I wish that was not the case. The Trump Administration is a poison infecting the country. The only good aspect of this government is that the people who do not mind being sick are clearly evident.
According to The Council on Foreign Relations, “Many experts agree that fascism is a mass political movement that emphasizes extreme nationalism, militarism, and the supremacy of the nation over the individual.”
Let’s break down this definition, nationalism is a devotion to one’s nation or to a system of beliefs. Militarism is the belief or desire of a government or people that a country should maintain a strong military capability and be prepared to use it aggressively to defend or promote national interests.
Federal law enforcement or ICE have, so far, killed eight people this year. Two of those people made national news: Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti. All eight were murdered by ICE. There was no due process or anything resembling what I thought were American values in these eight cases. They were murdered.
In the Pretti case, he had a firearm, and last I checked that was legal in this country. That weapon was taken out of Pretti’s possession, then federal agents shot him in the back of the head. He didn’t brandish the weapon and was not initiating violence as the Trump administration has said. He was helping a woman and got shot. The second amendment now only applies to those that support Trump.
I say this next part with certainty; Trump wants to be a dictator and has even said that this country needs one. I remember clearly when he said he would not be one on day one, he kept that promise at least.
Trump has built up his MAGA followers and they drink all the propaganda up like it is gospel. Propaganda is a form of misinformation meant to influence a population. Why did Trump always use the term, “fake news”? It was part of the plan. That plan being to discredit the press and make the fourth estate one of ill repute.
I wanted to be a journalist when I first got to Millersville, but my excitement to do so has plummeted since Trump took office. What happens to journalists in a fascist country? They get arrested. Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are both independent journalists and both were arrested. That is an attack on freedom of the press, which, I might remind you, is in the first amendment of the United States constitution- a document that is fairly important in this country. You couldn’t tell with all that is going on, though.
I am tired of all the propaganda and I am tired of all the lies and the deflection and the pivoting. These are all tactics that MAGA uses. I tried to reason with them, but that is getting harder and harder every day. Human rights should not be a trend. That should be at the forefront for all of us.
